Hello Ponks! <Waves> Welcome to the thread, and well done on your shredding! RI30 is a very similar format to the Shred, although Jillian is much more shouty. Also if you have completed the Shred you may find the first level of Ripped a bit easy - although levels 2, 3 & 4 are definitely a challenge! Banish Fat Boost Metabolism (cardio) and No More Trouble Zones (strength) are very good 'next step' DVDs, and although the full workouts are about 45-50 minutes you can select which circuits you want to do from the menu so it's easy to just do 20 mins worth if that is all you can fit in.

MissT, woohoo on getting close to the magic number! I shall definitely think about doing KB&T with you- my 6 weeks of 6-packing are up in mid Feb, but I'm not sure it will still be challenging me enough by then. It seems like there aren't so many advanced modifications in L2 or opportunities to add extra weights, and I'm already using my heaviest weight.

What weights do other people use? My heaviest is 2.5kg so I was thinking maybe I should get 3kg and 4kg next.

MissTFied I am creeping around in the dark in the mornings, too I east healthily [smugface], but this week I feel off the wagon. I really ate a lot of choccie biccies, or so I feel. I blame my ever-worsening PMS. Normally I would be super good: breakfast - porridge, lunch - salad with no dressing on, snack - fruit and nuts, dinner - whatever DH cooks who is super health-concious and fit. But this week my pudding was dark chocolate biscuits.

PeggyO I use 3kg weights. Wow for not being challenged.

I am very impressed by all the double sessions. I do not really have the time (yeah, right?), but try to do the one session extra hard. In this weather it is extra effort just to get to work as well. The Council got all freaked out yesterday, and they tried throwing as much grit on some random parts of the pavement of some random streets as they could. As a result the "gritted" bits all frozen down, while you could easily walk on the rest which was just hard snow.

Postman left a message that our parcel is at the post office. It must be Body Revolution! I will also only finish 6W6P in February, but DH said I can have a look at it

Peggy's done a great run down of the sweet shop of Jillian Michaels DVDs available to you! Like she said although some of them are longer, you can picks individual circuits to do to shave off the time. Well done with the Shred, and woo hoo with the compliments - it really helps to keep you motivated doesn't it?

MissT fantastic stuff on the weight loss, that is brilliant! My diet is generally pretty good, APART from chocolate, as I'm intolerant to white carbs so I always have wholemeal and don't really eat bread much. I'm also a veggie and a Quorn addict!!

I think if you're body is really craving the sweet stuff, you shouldn't worry too much. Remember you're doing a lot of exercise so you're burning off a hell of a lot!

Peggy I use a mix between 1.5 kg, 2.5 kg and 3 kg weights. I have to drop down to 1.5 kg for a few exercises, not that many though (Level 2 Shred springs to mind!), and mainly alternate between the 2 higher ones.

Gingercat, yay, the BR DVD has arrived!! Ooo go on, have a look... And let us know how it looks

Thinking about the falling of the wagon thing with food... my experience is that it's better to give in and enjoy a good splurge if you really crave it, as otherwise the denial builds up and you end up having a sweet-stuff pig-out of monumental propotions, although that may just be me

Phew, sorry for mammoth post!L2 S&S later today for me and the double tomorrow...Have a good rest of day all ...

What is it with me at the moment? Could feel it felt dodgy when I was on my bike earlier but was just hoping it would go away, grrrrrrrrrrrr! (not helped by banging around with my bike lock for ages - took me about 20 minutes to unlock it!)

I think I should add 'twostepsback' to my name

Going to try and ignore it until tomorrow and see how I feel then. It's not stopping me moving about, but it hurts...and it 'twangs' when I bend in a way it doesn't like.

What with my knee going every month or so, is it AGE??? I turned 40 last year, am I slowly falling apart lol?

Ohh no, Threesteps, that's not good Have you ever seen a doctor / physio about your back? I am rubbish at knowing when to rest an injury and when to try and keep going so would probably want to get a professional's advice.

gingercat, how exciting that BR will be with you soon! I would want to get started right away, I am far too impatient to wait!! Maybe not challenged wasn't quite what I meant re. 6W6P - it is certainly still a very tough workout, especially the double time bits! I suppose I feel like doing the same thing every day for another 3 weeks will just continue to work my body in the same way and I want to give it a new challenge! Although upping my weights would be a good way to do that, I think I will definitely get some heavier ones.

Peggy, thanks I used to go the chiropractic college down the road from me when I had a few lower back problems in the past. Haven't been for a few years though. It's just such a slog of a process though - you go in and get assessed, then meeting, then assigned to a student and I've been hoping I could avoid it!

They do definitely say to keep active if you can, so I might just see how it goes for the moment. (I have a feeling though that Julian might not be included in their 'being active' definition!)

Right well I am about to order RI30 for some variation ... I've only done a few days of Shred L2 so RI30 prob won't seem too easy .. but isn't it a great feeling when one of the exercises which previously seemed hard starts getting easier?

Threesteps - sorry to hear about your back, I do think injuries increase with age, I used to be v.fit and would work out really hard, after a few years of sloth & after turning 40 I tried to return to exercise last year but almost immediately got injured . It takes much longer to recover from little niggles than it used to.

PeggyO 6W6P for 6 weeks is quite boring, you are right. That is why I alternate the levels. I have 1 day of L1 and 6 days of L2 left.

threesteps Backache really freaks me out. I used to hate it when it woke me up in the night Pilates finished off my backache after 20 years of suffering, and I hope it'll never come back. So please, be careful.

Ponks I love it when I get better at an exercise routine, too. [waves]

I went to the Post Office, and it says Jillian Michaels Body Revolution even on the box. It is well posh! The whole family had a look and it is great. I'll be a good girl though and finish 6W6P first, and have a read of BR in the meantime. There seems to be little booklets inside and a journal as well as the dvds. And a skipping rope? I haven't checked that one out yet.

Evening Monkeys! A big jumping jack wave to you all, and welcome Ponks!

It's busy on here today!

Sorry to hear you have an injury threesteps. Sounds very painful. How frustrating for you. I hope it becomes better soon.

PeggyO - I am only on 2kg weights! You are doing really well. And you gingercat with your 3kg. One of my aims is to up the weights. Ooh it hurts when I do superman with weights on RI30. Argh!

Didn't get up as early today, 8am, fed DC then did Julian. Will be having a little lie in tomorrow and I plan to do double sessions, so I won't be creeping around with you gingercat! Surely you don't get up as early at weekends? Big respect if you do!

Succumbed to a treat size bag of Maltesers tonight, but I'm not going to beat myself up about it, because amazingly, when I weighed myself this morning, I reached my magic number! Woohoo! (Won't be there for long though if I keep eating Maltesers). I know weight fluctuates, so I'll try to be goodish this week and try to maintain it!

Ponks - you may have already ordered RI30, but have you thought about buying a Julian collection? I have the one with RI30, Shed & Shred and Killer Buns & Thighs. You will probably go on to do the others and it saves money.

MissT well done on reaching that magic number That is absolutely brilliant! Enjoy those malteasers, no guilt, you have most definitely earned them!

Thanks for all the input on my back. I'm resting this weekend but frustrated as I wanted to be stepping it up a gear Have bought the strongest strength ibuleve cream and will see if that helps at all.

When i'm better, I'll have to pay closer attention to my form as it's obviously wrong for this to happen. I do think it's a move in L2 S&S where you have to sit and twist your core round with a weight, perhaps I'll replace that for something else...

Ooch Threesteps, that sounds painful. Have you tried the stick on heat patches for your back?

I stepped back to Shred L1 today, some good music on the ipod and the 20min flew by. Hopefully that means I am a little bit fitter .. still can't do a full pushup going down all the way, will have to practice on the stairs as someone advised upthread. Was inspired to dust off some old Body Combat DVDs and did a couple of tracks from there too, yay! I used to love Body Combat.

DO IT themaltesecat! You know you want to! Perhaps you are doing it now?

I have just finished a second day of RI30 wk4 followed by Mr Shaun T and his Fast and Furious and I have to say I feel grrrrrrrrrrrrreat! I have even put some songs on YouTube and danced around! Woohoo! I am just buzzing on these endorphins! <calm down dear!>

Threesteps - hope the ibuleve has helped and you are able to do something today.

Hi all, just had a read through the thread this morning to help motivate me to do some Jillian this afternoon. It's funny but as soon as I take a day off it turns into about three. And I usually eat badly on those days as well, I totally sabotage myself.

Anyway I attempted level 2 of 6w6p but I'm not sure it's done much good. My legs feel a bit wobbly but that's about it. I don't think I properly get into the moves because it's so fast, I'm sure my form is dreadful. Next time I do it I might do circuit one of L1 then circuit 1 of L2 and see if that feels more effective.

Later on I think I'll do some circuits from NMTZ so I'll have had a bit of a workout today - now I've written it I will have to do it!

I do not get up early at weekends. As a real bad Mommy would, I make a huge platter of snack for DS (it gets bigger every time), and he eats it while watching a dvd in his room for half an hour in the afternnon. DH "retires" to he bedroom. It is quite hard to concentrate while one is snoring, the other is crunching so loudly.

I do not dare to do superman with weights. Just too petrified of having lower back problems again...

How are you doing threesteps?

fadingblonde It is now the 2nd time I do all of 6W6P, and only just now do I feel that perhaps I cracked it, and do most of the exercises as I should. Still not as fast as they are, though.

I have just photocopied BR dvd rotation schedule. Looks so exciting! No mealplan for me, though. DH cooks and I am eternally grateful. He always cooks ultra healthy meals.

I have also weighed myself, and lost a pound despite being sure AF is coming on. Yes! The magic of 6W6P! My target weight keeps changing, but another half a stone would not be missing if I lost it.

Hi gingercat - you sound very organised at weekends in order to get your Jillian in! I should think both DS and DH look forward to it! (Especially DH!). My poor DC play around me and try not to get whacked by weights/body parts!

And well done gingercat on dropping another lb. I liked seeing my magic numbers on the scales, but like you, another 1/2 stone wouldn't go amiss!

Was up at 7.15 today doing RI30 so not too bad. All done and dusted for the day. Getting a bit bored of it now, looking forward to Killer Arse!

Respect to all of you that work out with pesky children and DH's in the way. At the moment I exercise Monday to Friday's when kids and DH are at work and school. And I have the weekend as my rest days. Once the weather gets a bit better I might try and start up the running again but until then I like to think of Saturday and Sundays as my "slob" days.

I think i'm going to do one more week of alternate NMTZ and BFBM and then I'll aim to start 6W6P next Monday. Can someone remind me what is the format of that one? How long is it? Can you pick and chose circuits like you can in the others?

With regards to weight, I'm in a little bit of a vicious circle in that I am super strict with myself during the week with the low carbing and no alcohol. I tend to lose 1lb each day. Then it comes to Friday night and the weekend, when I allow myself some wine and a little bit more leeway on the eating front. And so I generally put a couple of lbs back on again. So i'm forever losing and putting on the same lbs each week. I would love to get below 9 stone. The only time i have managed it is if I have been ill. My body seems to have hovered 1 or 2 lbs above ever since I had my children. So let's see if I can do it with the power of Jillian!

Hope you have good a good week everyone, looks like we'll be needing a new thread imminently?